The present invention relates generally to apparatus for wetting prepasted wallpaper, and, more particularly, to an improved wallpaper dispensing apparatus for wetting, measuring, cutting, and otherwise preparing a strip of prepasted wallpaper for application to a wall.
Conventionally, noncommercial rolls of wallpaper are prepasted. More specially, paste is applied to the rearward face of wallpaper at the factory, and permitted to dry. The paper is then formed into a roll for sale.
The conventional method for wallpapering requires the user to first measure the wall, roll out a strip of wallpaper of an appropriate length and cut the strip. The rearward face of the wallpaper must then be wetted, in order to activate the glue or paste. Typically, the paper strip must be uniformly wetted with the glue in contact with water for a very short period of time, typically in the range of ten to twenty seconds. The paper is then generally folded over upon itself such that the prepasted faces are in contact, to activate the glue in a process known as xe2x80x9cbookingxe2x80x9d. The paper may then be installed on a wall, as desired.
There are several difficulties encountered when installing wallpaper. First, in order to cut the wallpaper strip to the appropriate length, the wallpaper roll must be unrolled, the remaining roll being restrained while the elongated strip is measured. It is then necessary to use a square, or other straightedge aligned perpendicular to the length of the strip at the appropriate location, and support the strip on a surface for cutting with a knife. In many cases, after cutting the paper, the user must reverse the roll of the paper in order to neutralize some of the xe2x80x9cmemoryxe2x80x9d which occurs in the paper by virtue of the paper being rolled at the factory.
The cut strip is then immersed as a roll or dipped in a conventional rectangular tray of water in an attempt to wet the rearward surface of the paper. The use of conventional rectangular trays for wetting the paper is convenient for space requirements, but does not necessarily provide a consistent and uniform result in wetting the adhesive over the length of the strip. The best results are obtained by contacting water to the prepasted fade of the wallpaper for a uniform amount of time over the entire length of the wallpaper strip. Without this uniformity, poor adhesion can result and bubbles or separating edges may occur in the installed wallpaper.
The non-uniform wetting of the paper occurs as the rolled piece is immersed in the tray of water. A second person is typically required to hold the cut strip under the surface of the water as the strip is then slowly withdrawn. It can be seen that the immersed end of the paper remains under water for a much longer period of time than the end that is first withdrawn from the water.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved wallpaper dispensing apparatus that permits a single user to draw a strip of wallpaper through water to uniformly wet the strip. Such a wallpaper dispensing apparatus should permit a strip of wallpaper to be cut at the desired length as part of the wetting procedure, and should facilitate measurement and cutting of a length of wallpaper strip without assistance of a second person.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a wallpaper dispensing apparatus that permits a single user to draw a strip of wallpaper through water to uniformly wet the strip. The wallpaper dispensing apparatus permits a strip of wallpaper to be cut at the desired length as part of the wetting procedure, and facilitates measurement and cutting of a length of wallpaper strip without assistance of a second person.
In exemplary embodiments, the wallpaper dispensing apparatus of the present invention includes a tray with a ridge projecting from the bottom and extending transversely between the side walls to divide the tray into a forward pool section and a rearward trough section. A removable cover is attached to the forward pool section and includes one or more depressions with guide surfaces on the bottom, spaced above the bottom of the tray to form a passageway between the cover and tray bottom. The cover has a rearward portion following a portion of the ridge, and a straight rearward edge extending transversely across the tray. An opening in the cover, extending from the forward edge permits the user to draw a strip of wallpaper from a roll located in the trough, through the passageway between the cover and tray, and out the forward end of the tray. Water in the pool portion wets the wallpaper as it is drawn from the dispensing apparatus.
It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.